Green Bay Packers All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers recently signed with the Creative Artists Agency, which is widely known as the world's leading entertainment and sports agency. For the moment, the signing seems to be just concerning Rodgers' off the field branding and marketing.
Aaron Rodgers Rebranding?
Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to the limelight, even outside his Green Bay Packers success. He has dated and (recently) broken up with famous actress Olivia Munn, has had his brother appear on the show "The Bachelor," and has even recently won on The "$100,000 Pyramid." Heck, Rodgers is nearly solely responsible for making State Farm's "Discount Double Check" famous with his touchdown celebration.
Yet it seems that Rodgers wants his branding to be taken to new heights as he has signed with one of the largest agencies. The signing came after Rodgers departed from Excel Sports Management. "Aaron has a clear vision for growing his business off the field," Michael Levine of CAA told SportsBusiness Journal, "We are thrilled to work with Aaron during the prime of his career."
The 2010 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl MVP plans explore many options with CAA, in the area of endorsements, film, publishing, digital media, philanthropy as well as in business ventures, as Rodgers turns his passions into business ventures. "I have always been interested in exploring ways to parlay the things I am most passionate about into new business endeavors," Rodgers said according to Variety news.
Could this be problematic for the Packers in the future?
The agreement is based on off-the-field endeavors at the moment, and the Green Bay Packers franchise likely wants to keep it that way because CAA has become one of the top agencies for on-the-field contracts. While Rodgers does not have to think about his likely contract extension for several more years, CAA would likely push for a lucrative contract.
Aaron Rodgers has publicly commended his agent for doing such a great job, but in the future, it is possible that CAA could try to move from off-the-field branding to on-the-field contract negotiating. CAA, being one of the most successful sports agencies, would likely drive a hard bargain and try to get Rodgers a large deal, especially if they increase his value through marketing and branding.
Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and was the key to the Packer's Super Bowl win in 2010. It is easy to see why some think he deserves or has earned to be one of the highest-paid players in the league. It is hard to tell at the moment how involved CAA could one day be in the on-the-field negotiations, but for now, they will be increasing Rodger's brand. Pretty soon talk of Aaron Rodgers could be even more inescapable than it already is, much to the delight of Packers fans, so long as it doesn't ruin any contract talks in the future.
